Jack Nicklaus Named 2013 Ambassador of Golf

Jack Nicklaus has left quite a lasting mark on golf. The North Palm Beach resident still holds the record for most major championships with 18. He was inducted into the inaugural World Golf Hall of Fame class in 1974. He can now add Ambassador of Golf to his long list of accolades.

Nicklaus, who founded the Bears Club where several top current pros live and play, was named the 2013 Ambassador of Golf by Northern Ohio Golf Charities. The award is presented annually to a person who has fostered the ideals of the game on an international level and whose concern for others extends beyond the golf course.

"Jack Nicklaus is the embodiment of all that the Ambassador of Golf Award represents. On and off the golf course he has represented the game and its ideals with the utmost in class and dignity," said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. "He has excelled in all facets of our sport. As a player, there is perhaps no equal. He has been a prolific golf course designer, tournament host and successful business man. And, as a philanthropist, he has leveraged his position as a sports legend for the betterment of society through the support of numerous charities, most notably the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation."

In addition to all the work Nicklaus does in the area for local charities, including his work with the charities associated with the Honda Classic, he also works with many charitable groups in his home state of Ohio.

Nicklaus will be officially honored on the first tee at Firestone Country Club on Wednesday, July 31, the day before the start of the PGA Tour's Bridgestone Invitational.